This invention relates generally to aircraft cockpit displays and more particularly, to methods and systems for displaying moving maps on aircraft cockpit displays.
At least some known aircraft include cockpit displays that are controlled by an information system such as an electronic flight bag. The electronic flight bag is a relatively new feature for managing information in an aircraft. A traditional paper-based flight bag may provide access, in paper form to such aids as enroute charts, departure procedures, engine out procedures, standard terminal arrivals (STARS), approach plates, taxi diagrams, extended twin engine operations (ETOPS) and oceanic navigational logs, and planning charts. The flight bag also generally includes operations manual, flight manual, MEL/CDL, fault reporting manual, performance data, checklists, and operations specifications. However, a transition from paper requires that the currently accessible paper based operational cockpit procedures be built into the newly added Electronic Flight Bag (EFB) functionality. On North Atlantic routes, the information is supplied using paper media for North Atlantic Tracks (NATracks) during times of high traffic crossing the Atlantic that define the flight path over the North Atlantic. NATracks are members of an organized track system (OTS). NAT-OTS tracks change daily. During travel along NATracks, twin engine operated aircraft have a limited amount time to reach an alternate airport in case of an off normal procedure such as loss of an engine (ETOPS). During ETOPS operation, the alternate airport is determined manually from paper charts and the determination is subject to error in determining the flights conditions to the airport.